# From corporate success to a life of service: an interview with Brother Peter Pio Picciolini
*2017-05-20*

> Host Bill Young speaks with Brother Peter Pio Picciolini, a professed Franciscan brother, about his dramatic transition from the corporate banking world to religious life and the power of Divine Mercy.

## A radical transformation

Brother Peter Pio Picciolini's journey to the Franciscan order began in an unexpected place: the high-stakes world of corporate banking and real estate in Chicago and Florida. As a senior executive for a Fortune 200 home builder, he possessed everything the secular world defines as success—money, cars, and properties. However, when the real estate market crashed in 2006 and 2007, he lost everything. He found himself without a job, a home, or a sense of identity.

During this period of anger and loss, Brother Peter experienced a profound spiritual encounter. While praying in tears before a statue of Our Lady in a parish grotto at midnight, he heard her say, "I came down from my throne in heaven to rescue you. And from this day forward, you belong to me." This moment led him to pursue religious life, eventually becoming a professed Franciscan brother, vowing poverty, chastity, and obedience.

## Missionary work and the City of the Immaculata

Currently, Brother Peter serves as the CEO of Mercy Mission Incorporated in Fort Myers. He is spearheading a missionary group that has broken ground in Haiti to build the City of the Immaculata, a project inspired by the vision of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Working alongside partners and the Pontifical Mission Society, he seeks to bring aid and faith to those in need, embracing a life of humility where he strives to be the "littlest of servants" in the eyes of God.

## The source and summit of faith

When asked for advice for those seeking spiritual fulfillment, Brother Peter emphasizes the importance of Eucharistic adoration. He describes the Eucharist as the source and summit of the faith—Jesus Christ present in time and space. He notes the irony that while the world will line up for miles to see a celebrity, the Creator of the universe often sits alone in the tabernacle.

In addition to the Eucharist, he speaks powerfully about the Rosary. He attributes his own survival and the health of his family to the intercession of the Blessed Mother, noting that the prayers of a mother and father together are among the most powerful weapons a family can possess.

## Addressing doubt and atheism

Brother Peter approaches the question of God's existence not through scientific theory, but through faith and the observation of creation. As a Franciscan, he sees God in everything—a blade of grass, a cloud, or the face of a stranger. He argues that the Big Bang theory fails to explain how something could come from nothing without a Creator.

He suggests that for those who do not believe, the "bet" of faith is the only logical choice. If a believer is wrong, they lose nothing upon death; however, if the atheist is wrong, the stakes are eternal. He emphasizes that being a faithful Catholic does not mean giving up joy or the enjoyment of life, but rather aligning one's life with the truth.

## The infinite nature of Divine Mercy

The conversation concludes with a discussion on God's mercy, particularly regarding those who have fallen away from the faith or committed suicide. Brother Peter shares a story of Saint Padre Pio, who comforted a mother by explaining that in the final nanosecond before death, the Lord can offer His mercy to a soul. 

He notes that the Church's understanding of suicide has evolved to account for mitigating circumstances such as mental illness, depression, and abuse. Because God operates outside of time and space, His capacity for mercy is infinite and far exceeds human understanding or judgment.

*True happiness and identity are not found in secular success or material wealth, but in the humility of service and the infinite mercy of God found in the Eucharist.*